Embodiments of the invention relate generally to seat liners and more specifically to seat liners that are useable with child seats, such as stroller seats, to cushion and comfort a child seated in the child seat.
Child seats, such as strollers and the like, are designed to safely secure and protect a child during transportation and/or other activities. Typically these seats and/or their frames (e.g., stroller frames) are generally made of a plastic or metal base (e.g., polypropylene base, plastic or metal tubing, and the like). The child seat and/or frames often include fabric liners, padding (e.g., foam padding), constraint belts, buckles, handles, wheels, and the like. The child seats and/or frames may also include various other features, such as pockets, shade coverings, wheel locks, and the like and/or may include additional components such as child toys or trays that attach to the child seat or frame and that support the child's food or drink.
Child seats, such as strollers, may be used for children of various ages and sizes ranging from infants to school age children. Children and especially young children that are incapable of walking or crawling often spend a considerable amount of time in strollers or other child seats. The child is often secured or harnessed within the stroller or child seat during the entire time or a majority of the time that the stroller or child seat is being used. A child may become uncomfortable and/or restless after a prolonged amount of time spent and/or harnessed in the stroller or child seat. The child's discomfort and/or restlessness may be amplified due to the design of the child seat and/or due to the materials of the child seat. For example, some inexpensive strollers may only include a thin fabric material upon which the child sits. The thin fabric material may not include any padding to cushion and/or support the child. The lack of padding may cause the child to become uncomfortable and/or restless after an amount of time. Young children, such as infants and newborns, are often incapable of communicating their discomfort and/or restlessness in any way other than crying, which may frustrate or annoy parents, guardians, and/or those in close proximity to the child. Unfortunately, the parent or guardian may not realize that the child is uncomfortable or restless. For these and other reasons, it may be desirable to provide components that may be used with a child seat to comfort a child placed in the child seat.